Pouring From An Empty Cup
Nurturing yourself even in small ways can help ease burnout and exhaustion.
Burnout is real and it can lead to depression, anxiety, relationship damage, and an inability to function at home or at work.
It's hard to care about anything when you feel exhausted, burned out. Your once-fiery enthusiasm may seem more overwhelming due to responsibilities, a job that drains you, or financial struggles. Or maybe an illness, the uncertainty and disruptions of the age we live in, or a combination of factors has left you feeling as if you have precious little to give.
Take heart: With time and effort, you can refill your cup, slowly adding back the energy and enthusiasm you've been missing. Here are ways to start.
Carve out time for yourself:
Taking time for yourself isn't a luxury; it's essential to self-care. Slow down and give yourself the opportunity to rest and rejuvenate. Schedule it if you have to, starting with 10 or 15 minutes, a couple of times a day.
How can you reclaim precious minutes in an overly full schedule?
Look at your day, week, or month, and be discerning about how many things you say 'yes' to in one period of time. Give yourself permission to say 'no thank you' to things that deplete you or don't serve you.
Make small moments count: choose what makes you feel at peace. For example, have a cup of tea, or simply lay a blanket or mat on the floor at home or work and lie on your back. Don't look at your phone or email. This signals your body to take a break. It helps you reset and back away when stress draws you in.
Commit to better health:
A strong body helps balance the stressful situations that have caused your burnout. The basics for good health includes:
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Exercise. Moderate intensity exercise, the kind that works the heart and lungs, releases important chemicals that help regulate mood, sleep, and many body systems. Start exercising for at least 20 minutes a day. Start with just a few minutes a day if it's all you can do. It doesn't have to be in any format. It can be any movement that brings you joy, like dancing, yoga, or brisk walking.
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A good diet. Eating lots of junk food (typically full of sugar, salt, and unhealthy saturated fat) fuels chronic stress, fatigue, depression, and anxiety. Choose more unprocessed foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, lean proteins (fish or poultry), and unsaturated fats (such as avocados or olive oil). If time is an issue, batch-cook simple, healthy foods you can have several days of the week. (Lentil or bean soup is a good one-pot meal. Throw in as many vegetables as you can.)
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Sleep. Insufficient sleep affects overall health, concentration, and mood. Try to sleep seven to nine hours per night. It helps to wind down an hour or two before you fall asleep. And turn off your phone, keep your room cool and dark, and go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day.
Surround yourself with comfort:
Surround yourself with people, activities, and things that make you feel loved, happy, and content. The most basic things can make a difference: spend time with your favorite people, add a vase of flowers to your space or favorite art, put on your favorite most comfortable clothes, eat a treasured comfort food, or listening to a favorite song, remembering a special moment. You would be surprised at how much this helps you in getting back in touch with what's important in your life.
Turn up the effect of comfort in your life as often as possible. How does it feel, taste, smell, or sound? Engaging the senses with soothing stimulation counteracts ongoing stress that the nervous system endures and may help to elicit the relaxation response that you need and helps reduce the fight or flight stress response that has a very negative effect to your health.
